Hi,
We need to purchase some switch that support 1gbit QinQ.
Any suggestions ? We need to connect 9 schools together in layer2.
All 9 schools have 1gb link from our provider, provider gaves us 5 vlan to
work with.
We have around 35 vlan in-house.
We are low budget. Any recommendation beside QinQ ?
Hi,
We need to purchase some switch that support 1gbit QinQ.
Any suggestions ? We need to connect 9 schools together in layer2.
All 9 schools have 1gb link from our provider, provider gaves us 5 vlan to
work with.
We have around 35 vlan in-house.We are low budget. Any recommendation beside QinQ ?
Your provider won't do QinQ for you? Have you verified they support
the appropriate MTU for you to do your own QinQ under their tag (at
least 1502)?
As far as equipment, most Cisco kit from 3550 on up will do QinQ.
Other alternatives would be to light it with routers and do EoMPLS or
VPLS, but it'll be more expensive than just doing QinQ but potentially
more scalable/stable.
I'd check w/ the provider. They may be giving you only 5 VLANs to
avoid explaining/configuring QinQ -- remember, most small school
environments are limited on their IT knowledge. I bet if you ask,
they already support it, or have the gear/people to help with your
need.
David.
The alternative to QinQ would be the exercise would probably be more
scalable if the broadcast domains vlans of each, were constrained to
their respective sites.
Something like force10 s25n would be all the l3 switch you'd need to
make this routed.
We have been using Ciena switches for QinQ.
CN3920 would fit best for low cost. Pretty easy to use.
The 3916 is one generation newer, cheaper, has a hardware FIB and
therefore also does all the MPLS bits and bobs (though don't use that
until 6.10, we're told.)
If I remember rightly a 3920 can't pop-off an S-tag on egress, too.
There's some silly limitation like that.
Tom